Work Text:
It was a supposedly ordinary evening. Camila Noceda was preparing dinner when her phone played a random playlist that she wasn’t really listening to. Her daughter was upstairs in her room, doing homework despite it being a Friday. She wanted to get it out of the way so they could do something together tomorrow. Camila took a day off, a rarity for her, but her colleagues were more than happy that she was taking time to rest.
She went through the motion of cooking. Only realized that she was done when she set the pot onto the stove.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day.
The birds chirped in the backyard. The distant murmur of a passing-by car reached her ears in the stillness. Work was slow and boring, which Camila counted as a good thing for a vet clinic. The drive back was uneventful and spent with small talk. On all accounts, it should have been an ordinary day.
It was far from it.
If she had to be honest, the last couple of days have been turned on their head. Nothing will ever feel normal again. Not after she had learned that her daughter was stuck in another dimension and that her daughter who was upstairs, doing homework, was a shapeshifter from said dimension impersonating her other - now eldest, she supposed - daughter.
It felt like a surreal dream, one of those trying to run but every movement felt sluggish and heavy, one of those and she was left floundering in the wake of it.
Camila wasn’t sure if she understood everything. Vee did her best to explain all she knew about the Demon Realm and dimensional travel - which was not much, but she tried anyway. But there was only so much Camila could take in before it became a jumbled mess in her head.
What she understood was that Luz was gone. Lost in a faraway place with no way home. And it might as well have been her fault.
Of course, Luz tried to reassure her otherwise. But at that moment she was literally talking to her through a light visage and was being pulled back into another dimension where Camila couldn’t even hope to reach her.
What if she never saw her again?
What if the last memory she had of her daughter was her slipping away from her grasp?
She took a shaky breath. There was nothing she could do. That was the brutal honest truth of it.
It was tempting to break down under the weight of it. She already had a good cry when Vee poured her heart out to her about everything that had happened and the situation they found themselves in. Camila did the only thing that made sense at the moment, amidst the sea of uncertainty and the waves of guilt that threatened to pull her under - she pulled Vee into the tightest hug she could muster.
Vee appreciated it if the way she melted into the hug was anything to go by.
They both had an emotional night.
But the next morning, Camila put on a brave smile and tried to reassure Vee and herself that everything was going to be fine.
Luz will be back, she told herself. She had to be, the alternative was unthinkable. She wanted to believe that it was true whenever she looked into the mirror and wondered how this happened. She wanted to believe that if she kept repeating it, it would come true one day.
Until then, the mornings continued like before. Only now, Vee was in her Basilisk form at the breakfast table. With the pretending over with, she was more relaxed around her. Camila made sure to kiss her cheek when she dropped her off at the school and made sure to shower her with lots of love. She deserved all the care and attention in the world.
Camila heard Vee come down the stairs. She quickly became accustomed to the slithering shuffling noise she made now that she was in her Basilisk form inside the house.
The pot was simmering, the lid bouncing with the escaping steam.
She quickly rushed to check on it. She didn’t mean to lose track of the time like that, but she couldn’t help it. Worry ate at her, and the mundanity didn’t help one bit. At least in Vee’s company, she managed to steer her mind away from the more spiraling lines of thought.
Vee came into the kitchen and asked about dinner. Camila mustered a relaxed smile and asked her to set the table. She happily complied, humming a little song to herself as she went about her task. Camila’s smile turned more honest.
She wondered how their night would go if Luz were here as well.
How long until she can see her again? Hold her in her arms again? Know that she is safe and sound under her roof?
She will hold out hope, of course, she would. Camila would patiently wait until the day she died if she had to - she really hoped she didn’t have to. But if her dedication counted for anything then let it be known that she is committed.
She sent one more silent prayer that Luz was alright out there. Then Camila sits down with Vee for dinner. Tonight, she can pretend to be fine. Then she would do it over and over again. As long as it was necessary. Because Luz will return one day. She was sure of that.